Combination-lock.



No'.v635,970. 't Patented U'ct. 3l, |899. A.l McKENzlE. commnlun LocK.

A(Application led Jan. 24, 1899.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT EETCEe ANGUS MCKENZIE, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE FENTON METALLIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COMBINATION-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,970, dated October 31, 1899.

Application iiled January 24, 1899. Serial No. 703,287. (No`model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ANeUs MCKENZIE, a resident of Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Combination-Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to combination-locks, and has special reference to locks ofthat character employed as spring-latches and applicable for such purposes as door-latches, postoffice lock-box doors, and like purposes.

In an application of even date herewith, Serial No. 703,285, I have described the broad principle of a combination-lock having a rotating disk and a lug 0r frame moving substantially tangentially or sidewise of the disk and operating to turn it when passing from engagement therewith, this lug being either part of a sliding moving frame in which the spring-latch is mounted or intermediate between this frame and the disk, the object of the invention being to provide a combinationlock in which after the combination is set and the lock or latch withdrawn the combination will be broken through the quick movement imparted to the disk upon the releasenof the latch either by the hand of the user or as the latch-bolt springs past the strike-plate or keeper in locking the door, sothat the positive locking of the door will always be assured whether the operator turns the disk or not after closing the door.

The present invention relates to the employment with the swinging disk or disks of a pinion between the sliding frame and disk, which pinion controls the movement of the slidingframe and provides for the opening of the door when the combination is set.

The particular points of, the invention desired to be covered will be hereinafter described and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make` and use myinvention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of the lock, the top plate, as well as the dial employed for turning the disks and the knob for turning the pinion, being removed and the parts being shown in position where the combination is set. Fig. 2 is alike view, the parts being in position where the bolt is withdrawn by the turning of the pinion. Fig. 3 is a like view showing the position of the parts where the combination is broken; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4, Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the dial.

Like letters indicate like parts in each of the gures.

The general construction of the lock is the vsame as in the application for patent, Serial No. 703,285, above referred to. The lockcase a has the front wall a', rear wall a2, top wall a3, and bottom wall a4. The bolt b has the head b and shaft h2, by which itis mounted to slide in the lock-case. Mounted upon and sliding with the bolt b is the sliding frame c, having the front wall c', tting around the bolt-head b', which carries the pin b3, pressing against the front wall of the sliding frame, which limits its forward movement, while the rearwall c2 lits around the shaft b2 of the bolt. A spring d is confined between the bolt-head b' and rear wall c2 of the sliding frame, and a weaker spring d is coniined between the rear wall of the sliding frame and the rear wall of the lock-case. Formed on one edge of the sliding frame is the rack ein position for engagement with the pinion f. Mounted on the post g of the lock-case are the two rotating combination-disks h 7c, having the gates or setting-slots i in their edges, with which the pinion f engages. This pinion f is preferably mounted on a short pin (shown in dotted lines) extending up within the lock-case between the disks and sliding frame. The pinion has the regular pinionteeth m, extending around part of its body, which engage with the rack e on the sliding frame, so providing for the withdrawal of the sliding frame by the turning of the pinion or the turning of the pinion by the backward or forward movement of the sliding frame.

On the opposite side of the pinion are formed long teeth or lugs corresponding to the height of the two disks, the center tooth p being adapted to engage with the gates i of the rotating disks, while one tooth r by striking Aagainst the periphery of the disks when the bolt is withdrawn by the turning of the pin- IOO ion limits the backward movement of same, and the other tooth s bystriking against the periphery of the disk on the other side of the tooth p holds the pinion in proper position to engage with the gates as soon as t-he combination is set. The disks may be rotated by any suitable means. I have shown thelower disk 7s having a lug, while the upper disk 7L is perforated, having a series of holes and a finger-piece 7.5 fittin g around the post and having one finger extending through the perforations of the disk 7L into line with the lug 7L' on the disk k, th-is finger-piece having a second inger extending upwardly, so as to engage with the dial-piece 2f, which has also a series of pcrforations formed therein. In the present application this dial-piece t is illustrated as having a center bearing t', extending -up through the retaining or ring plate u, a pointer t2, fitting over the bearing t', and the knob t3, engaging with the bearing and securing the pointer in place. The retaining-plate u is substantially of the same construction as shown in my said application, Serial No. 703,285, except that it extends inwardly over the dial-piece, entirely covering the same, except where its center bearing passes through the ring-plate, the ring-plate having the stationary dial-face u formed thereon, which, with the pointer t2, provides for the setting of the combination. The retaining-plate is shown detachable, having an elbow-lug u2, extending through a slot in the face-plate a5, and another lug a3, at right angles to the plate, passing through another slot therein and engaged by means of a hook a4, so as to secure the retaining-plate in position on the lock-face.

Then the invention is in use, in order to open the door the operator turns the pointer over the stationary dial-face according to the numbers by which the disks are to be brought into proper position or set by bringing the gates of the two disks into line with the tooth p of the pinion f. The user then turns the pinion, and in so doing the tooth p enters the gates and swings laterally of the disks, turning them on their post or bearing, while the pinion-teeth of the pinion engaging with the rack e of the slidingframe withdraw such sliding frame and its bolt and so open the door. In case the handle is quickly released the spring CZ', by forcing the sliding frame c forward through the rack e, imparts a quick movement to the pinion, which in turn, through its tooth p moving in the notches t', imparts a like quick swinging movement to the disks and gives a throw to them which causes them to swing away from the tooth p, so breaking the combination. In case the handle is gradually released, so that the combination still remains set when the door is closed, the inclined face of the bolt b, contacting with the strike-plate w, is pressed back, carrying with it the sliding frame c and turning the pinion f, which moves the disks by its lateral swing within the gates thereof,

and as soon as the bolt passes the strikeplate in its throw under the pressure of the spring d it imparts a quick movement to the sliding frame and pinion, and so imparts a swinging movement to the disks and insures thebreaking of the combination. If the combination has been broken by the quick release of the handle as the door is closed, the bolt when pressed back by contact with the strike-plate will compress the spring (l, and so is enabled to pass the strike-plate, though the pinion cannot turn on account of its contact with the disks, and consequently holds the sliding frame from backward movement. When it is desired to change the combination, the operator simply removes the ring or retaining plate u by withdrawing the hook ut, and he lifts off the dial-piece t with the ringplate, when he can change the position of the finger-piece 7c and the relative positions of the dial-piece t and top disk h, so changing the combination, and by securing the ringplate in position again the lock is in condition for use.

The operation is simple, and the lock provides an efficient form of combination-lock simple and cheap in construction, by which the actual positive breaking of the combination when the door is closed is assured.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a combination-lock, the combination with a rotating disk, of a frame moving sidewise of the disk, a bolt moving in the frame, and a pinion interposed between the frame and disk and having lugs engaging with both frame and disk and adapted to turn the disk, substantially as set forth.

2. In a combination-lock, the combination with a rotating disk, of a sliding frame and a pinion interposed between the frame and disk and having a lug swinging sidewise of and adapted to turn the disk.

3. In a combination-lock, the combination with a rotating disk, of a sliding frame having a rack-face, and a pinion interposed between the frame and disk and having a toothed face engaging with the rack and a lug swinging sidewise of and engaging with the rotating disk.

4. In a combination-lock, the combination with a rotating disk, of a sliding frame, and a pinion interposed between the frame and disk, said pinion having a lug swinging side- Wise of and engaging with the recess of the disk and a lug on each side thereof adapted to strike against the face of the disk, substantially as set forth.

5. In a combination-lock, the combination with a case having a central opening in its front plate, and having a post extending up from its back plate, of a disk or tumbler mounted on said post, a removable retainingplate covering said central opening and having a rotatable dial-piece mounted therein and means to connect the dial-piece with the disk, substantially as set forth.

IOO

IIO

6. In a combination-lock, the combination with a lock-ease having an opening in its front plate and having a post extending up from its back plate and a disk mounted on said post, of a removable retaining-plate secu red to the front plate and a rotatable dial-piece mounted in said retaining-plate and connected to said disk, and a pointer rigidly secured to the dialplate above the retaining-plate, substantially as set forth.

7. In a combination-look, the combination with alook-ease having an opening in its front plate and a post extending up from its back plate, of a disk or tumbler mounted on the post, a removable retaining-plate having a 15 dial-face formed thereon and a rotatable dialpieoe mounted on the retaining-plate and a pointer rigidly secured to the dial-piece above the retaining-plate, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said ANGUS 2o MCKENZIE, have hereunto set my hand.

ANGUS MCKENZIE.

Witnesses:

FRANK R. RIDELL, A. F. WEBER. 

